ASE is proud to be a partner in Choosing Wisely® (www.ChoosingWisely.org), an initiative spearheaded by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation (ABIM Foundation). The goal of the Choosing Wisely® campaign is to help physicians and patients have the important conversations necessary to ensure that the right care is delivered at the right time. In order to provide a starting point for this conversation, several specialty societies have created lists of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question” — evidence-based recommendations that should be discussed to help make wise decisions about the most appropriate care based on a patients’ individual situation. ASE unveiled its list, which was based on the input of many of our members, on February 21, 2013. See the list here.
As a member of ASE, you are aware of the Society’s work on and promotion of Appropriate Use Criteria for Echocardiography. (Click here to view the guidelines) Participating in this program is yet another way that ASE can promote appropriate use of diagnostic imaging for the best possible patient care.
The initiative has also proven very popular with legislators, who seem to appreciate the societies’ taking the lead in reducing health care costs and encouraging patient-physician conversations about appropriateness. It’s important that ASE be part of this patient-centered initiative that can enhance quality patient care while helping to contain costs. Our involvement will be valuable in building relationships with legislators and the media, as well as providing an opportunity to educate consumers about the safety and usefulness of cardiovascular ultrasound.
Information about Consumer Reports’ communications initiatives for Choosing Wisely® including a list of consumer partners access to all available patient materials is available here.